During the pool’s design steps, the piping layout in the pool plant room is often forgotten. Why? Because it is the least visible and least funny part. However, this is where the miracle does happen: the one that allows you to swim in clear, healthy, and possibly heated water. Therefore, drawing the plant room according to the planned equipment and drawing the piping layout, including fittings, valves, and materials, is necessary. Morana Water Design enlighten you on this point.
How To Design The Pool Plant Room?
The pool plant rooms house the pumps, filters, water treatment equipment, and heaters. However, the installation of most heat pumps is outside the room.
How to clearly define the size of the plant room?
The water volume of the pool and the room’s dimensions are related. For example, the larger the size of the pool, the larger the diameter of the filter will be. If the pool is significant, you might need to install two pumps or more. The plant room size must allow easy maintenance of the equipment.
The room height should be enough to stand upright; six feet high is a good balance.
Finding the correct place to install the plant room
The further away from the pool, the plant room is, the higher the pump’s power should be. To avoid excessive pressure losses, it is advisable to place the pump lower than the pool’s water level.
The best option is in the ground near the pool. In this case, steps or a ladder must allow access to the room. The simultaneous concrete construction of the pool and the room is often a good choice.
Note: the storage of products such as chlorine or pH regulator is not advised in the technical room. Air ventilation is highly recommended.
What Does The Swimming Pool Plant Room House
This generally enclosed space is designed to receive the various equipment of the filtration system:
- The filtration pumps. You may need one or more depending on the water volume. The flow rate of each also relies on the swimming pool size. For an overflow pool, you have to consider other parameters, such as the length or the kind of overflow. Wires are connected to the electric board.
- The filter with its filtering load (sand, recycled glass, diatoms earth, or cartridge). Its size is directly related to the flow rate of the pump.
- The electrical panel provides power and controls the equipment
- The water level control box for overflow pools
- All the plumbing for the pool plant room, including pipes, valves, and fittings.
- These equipement are optional:
- The automatic sanitization equipment, e.g., salt chlorinator, generally needs a connection to the switchboard.
- The pH regulation
- The heating system or the by-pass when using a heat pump installed outdoors. Wires connect to the electric panel.
The plant room must be easily accessible to the user to facilitate maintenance operations. Access must be prohibited to children.
Morana's advice 👇
Organize the installation
To avoid overlapping pipes and inaccessible valves, the filtration system should be installed logically. If you label the pipes carefully, you will be able to find your way around more easily.
Postpone some equipment installation
By using by-passes in the pump room, you can postpone the installation of certain items of equipment, such as heating and disinfection, and thus spread out the budget.
Are you looking for a plant room design tailored to your pool
How Does A Pool Filter System Work?
Regular or overflow pools operate more or less the same way. Water goes out through the skimmers or the weir and returns to the pool through the inlets. However, to ensure safe and clear water, it is necessary to filter and sanitize it regularly, at least every four hours. It is the task of the equipment installed in the plant room.
How Do You Set Up Plumbing For An Infinity Pool Plant Room?
Let’s be clear, if you build a regular pool without any particular option, the connection is simple. However, installing an overflow pool filtration with disinfection equipment and a heater gets more complicated.
To connect a pump to a filter, you use PVC pipes and fittings. Schedule 40 (SCH 40) PVC pipes are the most commonly used. SCH80 pipe has thicker walls and can handle higher pressures.
The wiring of the motor to the electrical box, you have to follow the constructor’s instructions.
To warranty that an overflow pool is working perfectly, you must install securities and check valves. Moreover, the homeowner willing to build such a pool likes to get one fully equipped. It makes the connections more complex. In this sense, the filtration system plumbing and wiring layout should help.
Getting A Plumbing Diagram For An Overflow Pool Plant Room
We have listed the equipment that commonly equips a pool. But do you know what the position is to each other? Telling you that you will connect them with PVC pipes be enough to help you? In an infinity pool, it is necessary to provide safety devices with ball valves and check valves. Do you know where to place them? For most of you, the answer is no to all these questions.
Benefits of having a diagram of the infinity pool filtration system :
- People often don’t clearly understand what they need to install. The tendency is to oversize the space required. Building a too big room is a waste of time and especially money. A drawing will avoid this mistake.
- Depending on the pipes coming from the pool, the pump and filter will be placed to save pipe lengths, elbows, and tees and make the best use of the available space.
- Drawing facilitates the installations of the different devices, step by step: pump, filter, heating, disinfection, optional spa pumps, and place all valves at the correct location.
- With such a drawing, any plumber can install an overflow pool filtration—no need to ask for a pool builder.
- You have a complete view of how does your pool work.
- After construction, this will ensure that you have a document to refer to.
Drawing up a diagram of the filtration system
If you want to set up the plumbing of your pool plant room, it is necessary to know where the pipes coming from the pool arrive at the ground level of the plant room. Each pipe must be identified to be sure to connect it properly. Therefore, each plan should be unique; We are here to help you.
Please note that the document below is a plan, not a diagram. We are here to assist you in creating a plan that is unique to your needs.
How To Select The Suitable Filtration Unit And Optional Equipment?
Pump power calculation
To get a filtration unit perfectly calibrated, you have to consider the pool area and the water volume. The distance between the pool and the plant room must also be considered. The climatic conditions (temperature, wind, rains), and the number of bathers, at least for those receiving the public. All this is quickly done using simple calculations and the pump efficiency curve.
Note: The performance of a pump depends, of course, on its power and manufacture. That’s why we prefer to list a pump’s flow rate rather than its power. It is helpful to have a guide filled with tips for choosing a pump, plumbing, and wiring.
Tips when choosing the types of pool equipment
These tips are valid for plumbing an infinity pool but also a regular pool.
- When selecting a motor, don’t rely on price alone. Choose a pump for which you will always have spare parts.
- Before accepting to pay for 2 or 3 pumps, ensure that it is necessary. One motor is often enough.
- When selecting the filter, do not over-size it.
- The sand filter load is outdated. Go to the recycled glass.
- Pick a filter with a top mount multiport valve if you have limited space in the plant room.
- If you want to heat your pool, ensure that you cover it.
- And much more in our advice guide.
Conclusion
Plant rooms refer to two things at once:
Container, i.e., the room that will house the filtration system for the pool.
The contents, i.e., all the equipment necessary to operate the pool.
When designing a swimming pool, it is crucial not to neglect these two factors. It is essential to calibrate the filtration system and choose the appropriate dimensions for the room. Moreover, you should keep in mind that the location of the room in relation to the pool can have a major impact on the correct operation of the equipment.
